A little bit of wind and a lot of sunshine in the "sun" field of Left Center. Kudos again to Ron Isola for the Cracker Jack job he does every week setting up the field for us. We even got to use the scoreboard [even if I did abuse the "STUB-HUB" horn a little too, much for G-man's' taste. We were honored this week by the presence of Long Simmons great grand son, Mark Simmons playing for Elk Grove. We found out after the game that he's actually one of Simmons "summer-children" who never actually had the birth recorded. In the words of Coach Nellie of Golden State, "the dumb bastard!" I'm sure we'll see more of the "pool playing Simmons" now that the redoubtable David Chilcote is no longer available sans nom de plume.

Just a couple of stray thoughts before we delve into the game...

Did anyone else notice the speed and audacity of Bobby Hartkop as he ran, yes RAN all the way across the diamond to initiate a game ending rundown play? Bobby Hartkop who ALWAYS gets a "courtesy runner"? I must protest, where was Bobby's courtesy runner on that play? Maybe Bobby now has regained the confidence to run for himself. How about it Bobby?

After careful study of the Major League Rule Book I could find no mention of the traditional "little league" rule about standing on the mound without the ball negating a "hidden ball ploy." The only thing in the rule book states that the pitcher may not "stand astride or on his plate (the rubber) without the ball" nor may he "make motions or act like he is throwing the ball in order to deceive the runner." Seems like Tokyo got gypped on that rule last week.

930 AM GAME

by Jim Realini

The First Place SF Giants broke open a close game in the fourth inning to pound the Oakland A's who just couldn't catch a break (or a fly ball) in the sunny confines of center field. Heath Keller tossed a masterful 6 innings striking out 6 A's. Heath appeared to pitch with extra venom after a personally poor first inning plate appearance, too bad for the descendant's of Charlie O. Frank Weishaar pitched a rocky 7th surrendering the only runs by the A's, then needed just 7 pitches to send three A's batters to the pine in the 8th. Lyn LeFevre closed out the 9th in Nennth Inning style to end the A's misery.

The Giants were led by John "Fuego" Haines with 3 bingles and a double (7-9 in his last two games!!). Frank "Alloy" Weishaar, Jimmy Cullen, and Mike "DJ" Desjardines each belted two hits with DJ smacking an extremely long double to the fence in left center. Dewitt, Keller, Donig, Realini, McAusland, and Terra piled on with singles with LeFevre ripping a triple to clear the bases late in the game. Captain Steve Bennett got of the schneide by getting his first league hit.

Stealing from the A's own website: Here's what can be best said about the A's day, "This was the end of a long game for the A's and one they would like to soon forget. Don't worry Boys we'll get fired up on all cylinders next game. Just forget about this one and go on." MMello.

1 PM Game

by Jim Realini

In a thrilling afternoon match, Elk Grove nipped the Tokyo Giants in a thrilling 9th inning worthy of much spilled beer in Bakersfield this next weekend. Bobby "Yes I've got two good legs" Hartkop gave up four runs over five, but hung in there against a great pitching performance by Tokyo's Joe Gagliardo. Joe was quoted after the game musing that he hopes that he's not this years version of last years Matt Cain. Carl Vargas and Randy "Wild Thing" Saladana-Wallace flung the pill for three shaky innings before giving Mark Simmons the pelota to save through a wild bottom of the ninth.

JC Penney, Mark Simmons, T Lee, Dave De Cruz, Hartkop, Carl Vargas, and Chuck Arthur each slapped singles to eke out their 5 runs for the Elk Grove Giants. The Nipponese Warriors got base hits from Gordon "The Real Deal-No relation" Simmons, G-man, Gags, Rolly, Sugar Ray, Doug "Needs a nickname" Rusch, and the Colonel to forge an early lead before falling short in the bottom of the 9th.

So in the bottom of the ninth, down by one, Mark "Da Bastard" Simmons faces the bottom of the Tokyo order. Rolly Hofstedt gets on, but Simmons baffles Sugar Ray on a 3-2 pitch getting the whiff. The Colonel comes up and ropes one off the handle grazing the zipper on Simmons pants but forcing Rolly at second, Realini reaching first safely at a pachyderm pace. Up come Kim Rupert still suffering from a large dose of Dodger Blue at the last Vero Beach camp and she works Simmons for a walk so the Colonel takes second. Doug Rusch comes up a blasts a seed to center with the Colonel charging like a wounded Rhino round third headed for an earth shattering collision with JC at the plate, but wait hold your horns big boy the stop sign is on so the Colonel stumble-lumbers back to third thinking okay two out bags loaded and the leadoff Tokyo man comin' up. But noooo!! Rusch takes too, big a turn at first and a quick throw to first catches him flat-footed in a pickle. G-man, the coach at third says "ya gotta go" our only hope is to make something happen at the plate. So the Colonel runs half way home and sees (and feels) Bobby Hartkop RUNNING full speed (for a man of his size and age) right at him just like the play book says you are supposed to. So the Colonel takes off for home thinking whoo-boy the Colonel, JC and Hartkop meeting at home plate for Loma Prieta II. Instead Hartkop makes a great throw to JC who only has to merely tag the Colonel on the belly button to end the game. Oh well, I hope this was the bottom of the bad luck well for the Tokyo boys.

See ya'll in Bakersfield.